November 18: Friday with Four!

Today was a bonus since I had the Twins and also Big Bro and Red for a good portion of the day!

Big Bro had a “Thanksgiving Feast” at his school and he was AOK with me and Twins visiting his classroom during that time. The kids each took a turn telling the class what they were thankful for and Big Bro participated without a problem. They then recited their Thanksgiving poem and he did great – no tears, no anxiety!!! Then it was time for the feast – he sat with his class and I put the Twins by the “play kitchen” area — it was perfect. The Twins did great and were so well behaved. They sat around circle time with everyone and listened to the teacher and the kids; they ate and played quietly and did not cause any problems. I received so many comments about how well they did. I’m so proud of them – and so proud of Big Bro for not getting upset and for following through with the activities with the rest of his classmates.

Afterwards, we went to Red’s pre-school with her lunch, that I forgot. All the kids were sitting down just about to eat so it was good timing. I decided to ask her if she wanted to come home with us to eat lunch and take a nap. It seemed silly to leave her there just to go and pick her up after nap. She agreed. I asked her teacher if I could “steal” her. Her teacher said “absolutely – take advantage of these days because they go by fast.” I couldn’t agree more. She smiled at me and put her hand in mind and we happily joined the Twins and headed home for lunch. Red was so great, she got everyone water and she was even helping to feed Twin Crazy, even though her little sister can do it fine on her own…. Big sister wanted to help and I guess little sister loved the attention. It was sweet. The mothering didn’t stop after lunch. I caught them together with Red “helping” Twin Crazy with her hair.

Once the kids got up, I packed up four little containers of goldfish crackers and we headed out to get Big Bro. It was starting to rain. By the time I got to his school it was pouring. I saved his scooter from the rain and packed it in the van; I grabbed him and he immediately asked about the scooter – no worries! I tried to take them to the library but it was closed – (closed on Fridays???). So I had to think of another plan. Hmmmm. Raining. Friday afternoon. Hey – now it’s the weekend, right? So we headed out for ice-cream, our new tradition. The kids were so cute; Big Bro and Red were helping their little brother and sister. Red was sharing her ice cream. Twin Crazy was completely focused on her treat – she was intense. Twin Husky was getting everything everywhere – he was the first to finish and had ice-cream all over himself. A good time was had by all. We were quite a scene walking down the street, me with four little kids all holding hands.

Dinner was fine; playing afterwards was fine; the Twins were partners in crime, as usual:

Now its the end of the day. It was a good day. I feel fortunate that I had the extra time with Red and Big Bro. Especially when they still welcome the time from their Mom. I know time will go by faster than I would like so I want to soak in these days while I have them.

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My Story…

I have always been a person of extremes.

I am a working mother. I used to work full-time, 5 days a week. I am a management consultant, which can be intense with client commitments and travel. But I also have children. Four of them. Big Bro (6), Red (4), and Twin Crazy and Twin Husky (3). For several years my quality of life significantly suffered and I hit the wall, hard.

I also try to live life versus life just happening to me. I initiated a change in role at my company of nine years, which enabled me to reduce my work-week and leverage flex-time so I can spend more quality time with my children. This transition has really helped my happiness. In December my husband filed for divorce so there will be more transitions in my immediate future.

This is my story. I'd like to share the complexities of managing my worlds of job and family. I'd like to hear from others facing similar challenges - the exhaustion and sometimes guilt, coupled with boundless joy and wonderment. I want to hear about the transitions that you have gone through, are going through now, and have learned from.